System of reflecting mirrors or the like



1932- o. A. Ross 1,870,468

SYSTEM OF REFLECTING MIRRORS OR THE LIKE Filed. Got 20, 1925 IN V EN TORQ Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 080 A. B055, 0! YORK, N. Y.

SYSTEM OF SELECTING MIRRORS OR THE 1.11m

Application filed October 20, 1925. Serial ll'o. 68,768.

furnish a system of reflecting devices for P automobiles, or similar vehicles of trans ortation whereb any obstructed view cause by a blind spot will be brought to full view 0 the operator of said vehicle, in other words this system will eliminate said blind spots whereby said operator will have full vision of the roadway before him. The aforesaid blind spots are particularly hazardous on i i e pproaching intersections at which time it is possible to have a transversely moving vebicle within the scope of the blind spot in this manner making a serious accident possible.

Another object is to form the bodies of motor vehicles whereby applicants system of reflecting mirrors may be non-adjustably secured at proper angles of reflection to ac complish the results desired.

Other objects and advantages will appear asthe description of the invention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

This invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts herein after described, delineated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in that portion of the instrument wherein patentable novelty is claimed for certain and peculiar features of the system it being understood that, within the scope of what hereinafter thus is claimed, divers changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the details of the invention.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is bad to the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated embodiments of the invention, and wherein like characters of reference refer to and designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, and wherein Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of a ortion of an automobile body showin the interior, the portion above the operators ead bein removed. Fig. 2 is a modified form f of t e invention shown in Fig. 1, and is taken --on the same plane. Fi 3 is a reduced view of Fig. 1, showing both sides of the body and in addition shows diagrammatically the functioning of the reflecting devices employed in the system. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of mirror bracket and the mounting bracket therefor.

Referrin to Fig. 1, the automobile, or vehicle bo y, as 1, hereinafter termed car bod is assumed to be facing, or travelling in t e direction of the arrow A, and comprises that portion of the car body from just rear of the front seats to just forward of the wind shield, a pgrtion of the cowl being shown, this portion ing known as the chauffeurs, or operators compartment, or section.

Car body 1, comprises wind shield 2, doors 3 and 4, having windows 5 and 6, also cowl 7, corner posts 8 and 9, and hinge posts 10 and 11, forming part of the car body frame,

rear windows 12 and 13, operators seat 14 and spare seat 15.

Pivotally attached to corner post 8, by bracket 16, is reflecting device 17 Pivotally attached to post 10, by bracket 18, is reflecting device 19. Brackets 16 and 18, may be modified to comprise a fixed support 20, having stud 21, to which is clamped member 22, bolt 23 serving to clamp clips 24 and 25, and member 22, together as shown by Fig. 4.

Reflecting devices 17a, and 190, are similar to devices 17 and 19, but function through a different angle.

The operation of my improved system is as follows :-Referring to Fig. 3, the post 8, forms a blind spot to operator F substantially as represented by the included an 1e B, any object located within this area is or inarily invisible to the operators vision, however with applicants improved system the reflecting device 19, having a deflecting area substantiall equal to or larger than that area covered by FostB, and as re resented in a horizontal p one by the inclu ed angle C, reflects all the objects within the aforesaid blinded area onto reflecting device 17, where it is readily seen by the operator F.

To re roduce all the objects appearing within t e area concealed by the posts, as 8, and 9, and to obviate making the reflecting devices too larger and obstructive to occupants of the car body, the reflecting devices as 19 and 19a, are formed to 0 tically enlarge the ima received by the re ecting surfaces of said lances. This permits of the use of a smaller reflecting device without sacrificin any of the desired area to be seen.

eflecting devices as 17, 17a, 19 and 190 are of a t pe referably to be employed in car bodies wliich have been completed and placed in use before my im rovement was conceived by me. When it'is esired to install my system of reflecting devices in car bodies prior to their manufacture, and where a neat appearance is desired, the post 8, is modified substantially as shown by post 28, of Fig. 2, and post 10, is modified substantially as shown by post 29, of Fig. 2. The mirror supporting surface of post 28 is formed at an angle withres to the body 7 whereby upon mounting t e mirror 26 thereon, the

image reflected by. mirror 27 will appear in e same relative position as if the object represented thereby were normally viewed in the absence of post 28, and the mirror supporting surface 31 of the modified post 29, is also formed at an angle with re ect to the body 7, whereby upon mountin t e mirror 27 thereon, the image receive thereby will have the same relative width of field laterally as the object concealed by the post 28 when viewed by the occupant of seat 14 the mirror 26 being similar to mirror 17 and the mirror 27 being similar to mirror 19.

The center line of reflection through the reflecting devices 17 and 19, is represented by the center line Y-Z, and a similar center line through reflect' devices 17a and 19a, is represented by the ins X--Z.

What I claim is as follows 1. In combination with a vehicle having a substantially enclosed bod supporting a drivers seat therein, the y being formed with opaque memberspositioned between the wind-s ield and the entrance doors thereof whereby a person normally occupying the seat will have a partially obstructed field of vision down a street which is disposed to the front of the vehicle and laterally of the street being travelled upon, the body also having posts rearwardly of the doors and extending between the floor portion and the roof portions thereof, of light deflecting members supported by the posts, reflecting surfaces formed thereon positioned to receive an image of the objects in the field obstructed by the opaque members, secondary light deflecting members supported by the opaque members In view of the occupant of the seat, and reflecting surfaces formed thereon itioned to receive the image depicted by tiiz reflecting surfaces of the primary light deflecting members whereby the occupant of the seat will see the objects in the obstructed field of vision in the same manner as if the opaque members were absent.

2. The combination with a vehicle having a substantially opaque bod member and a seat member, said members eing relatively positioned that a person normally occupying the seat member will have a partially o structed field of vision down a street which is disposed to the front of the vehicle and latera ly of the street being travelled upon, of a primar light deflecting member supported by the ody having a reflecting surface formed thereon positioned to receive the image of the objects in the obstructed field, a secondary light deflectin member supported by the opaque member aving a reflecting surface formed thereon positioned in view of the occu ant of the seat member arranged to receive the image depicted by the primary member, the light deflectin members being positioned in substantially Xed spaced relation one to the other whereby the image depicted by the primary deflecting member is reduced in size by reflection to the secondary deflectin member, and an optical system positioned etween the reflecting surfaces of the light deflecting members arranged to enlarge the image depicted by the primary deflecting member whereby the ima depicted by the secondary deflecting memfizr will be of substantially the same relative size as if the objects were viewed if the opaque member were absent.

3. The combination with a vehicle having a substantially opaque body member and a seat member, the members being so positioned with respect to each other that a person normally occupying the seat member will have a par-.

tially obstructed field of vision down a street which is disposed in front of the vehicle and laterally of the street being travelled upon, of a primary light deflecting member supporte by the body rearwardl of the seat member, a reflecting surface ormed thereon positioned to receive the image of the obects in the obstructed field, a secondary light deflecting member supported by the o a no member in the plane'of the obstructed el a seat wi roof reflecting surface formed thereon positioned in view of the occupant of the seat member and arranged to receive the image depicted by the primary light deflecting member, the light deflectin members being positioned in su stantially xed spaced relation one to the other whereby the image depicted by the primar member is reduced in size by reflection to the secondary member, and an optical system positioned between the reflecting surfaces of the deflecting members arranged to enlarge the image depicted by the rimary member whereby the image depicte b the secondary member will be of substantia y the same relative size as if the objects were viewed by the occupant of the seat member if the opaque member were absent.

4. The combination with a vehicle having a substantiall enclosed body supporting a drivers seat t erein, the body being formed with o a ue members positioned between the wind-sl de d and the entrance doors thereof wherebfi a person normally occup ing the have a partiall obstructs field of vision down a street whi is disposed in front of the vehicle and laterally of the street being travelled upon,- the body also having post members pofitioned rearwardly of the seat extending between the floor portion and the the body, of light deflecting mem rs su by the 0st members, reflecting su aees formed ereon ositioned to depict an image'of the ob'ects n the obgr of a light deflecting member, a reflecting surstructed field, ,Js'eondary hght deflecting members an porteda-byfthe opaque members in view of t e occupant of the seat, reflecting surfaces formed thereon positioned to receive the image depicted by the primary members, the light deflectin members being positioned in su stantially ed spaced relation one to the other whereby the image depicted by the primary member is reduced in size by reflection to the secondary member, and an optical system positioned between the reflecting surfaces of the primary and secondary light deflecting members. arranged to enlarge the image epicted by the primary member wherebgethe image depicted by the secondary mem r will be of substantially the same relative size as if the objects were viewed by the occupant of the seat if the opaque member were absent. Y

5. The combination with a vehicle having a substantially enclosed body, the body having a substantially opaque member and a seat member, the members being so positioned relatively that a person normally occupying the seat member will have a partially o structed field of vision down a street which is dis posed in front of the vehicle and laterally of the street travelled upon, of a primary light deflecting member having areflecting surface thereon, a secondary light deflecting member havin a reflectin surface thereon, means formed inte rally with the body structure for rigidly positioning the primary member whereby the reflecting surface thereof will be positioned to depict an image of the objects in the obstructed field, and means formed integrally with the opaque member for ri idly positioning the secondary member w ereb the reflecting surface thereof will be positioned to reflectingly do let the image of the primary member wit the vision of a person normally occupying the seat member. A

6. The combination with a vehicle having a substantially enclosed bod containing a seat member therein, the body having nonmovable substantially vertical portions connecting the floor and roof portions thereof, of a light deflecting member a reflecting surface formed thereon arranged to be ositioned to depict an image of a portion 0 the roadwa upon which the vehicle is travelling norma lyeobscured from an occupant of the seat mem r, a mounting portion formed integrally with the vertical portions, and a mounting surface formed thereon positioned in a plane substantiall parallel to the lane of the reflecting sur ace of the light de ectin member when the member is positioned to epict the image of the obscured portion of the roadway to the occupant of the seat member.

7. The combination with a vehicle having a substantially enclosed body containing a seat member therein, the body having inte ally formed longitudinal portions thereon,

face formedthereon positioned in a plane to depict an image of a portion of the roadway upon which the vehicle is travelling normally obscured from the occupant of the seat memher, a mounting portion formed integrally with the longitudinal portions, and a mounting face formed thereon positioned in a plane su stantially parallel to the plane of the reflecting surface of the light deflectin member when the member is positioned to epict the image of the obscured portion of the roadway to the occupant of the seat member.

8. The combination with a vehicle having a substantially enclosed body containing a seat member therein, the bodyhaving fixed frame portions formed-thereon, of a light deflecting member, areflecting surface formed thereon positioned in a plane to depict an image of a portion of the roadway upon which the vehicle is travelling, the roadway portion being obscured from a person normally occupying the seat member, a mounting portion formed integrally with the fixed frame portions, and a mounting surface formed thereon in a plane substantiallyparallel to the plane ofthe reflecting surface of the light deflecting member whereby the maybe rigidly secured to the I mounting surface for depicting an image of the obscured portion of the roadway. 9. The combination with a. vehicle having a substantially enclosed bod supporting a seat member therein, the b0 y having fixed frame portions formed thereon positioned to produce an obscured field to the vision of a. person normally occupying the seat member, of a light directing member having a-re- 1o" flecting surface formed thereon positioned v in a plane to depict objects of the obstructed field within the vision. of the occupant of the seat member, a mounting portion formed on j the frame portions, a mounting surface formed on the mounting portions positioned in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the reflecting surface of the light deflecting member whereby the member may be V rigidly secured to the mounting surface, and light directing means supported by the body for reflecting the objects of the obstructed field into the light deflecting member whereby the seat occupant may visually observe the objects in the same manner as if the frame portions were absent.

l0. The combination with a vehicle hav ing a substantially enclosed body supporting a drivers seat therein, the body having fixed frame portions formed thereon, certain of 39 the frame portions being positioned with re spect to the seat member whereby a person normally occupying the seat member will have a partially obstructed field of vision down a roadway which is disposed in front of the vehicle and laterally of the roadway being travelled upon, a primary light defleeting member having a reflecting surface formed thereon positioned in a plane with respect to the obstructed field whereby the objects therein will appear on the reflecting surface thereof, a mounting portion formed on certain frame portions, a mounting surface formed thereon positioned in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the re- 'flecting surface, whereby the light deflecting member may be fixedly secured thereto, a secondary light deflecting member having a reflecting surface formed thereon positioned .in a plane to reflect the image depicted by the primary member into the vision of an occupant of the seat member, a mounting surface formed on the obscuring "frame portions, and a mounting surface formed there on positioned in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the reflecting surface of the secondary member whereby the mem-- ber maybe fixedly secured thereto for depicting the objects tothe seat occupant.

11. The combination with a vehicle having a substantially enclosed body supporting a seat member therein, the body being formed with fixed frame portions thereon, of a light deflecting member having a light reflecting surface formed thereon positioned in a plane to depict objects on the roadway normally beyond the vision of a person normally occupying the seat member as the vehicle ad- I 

